I quite like the Emirates FA Cup. That’s why I’ve been to 477 matches in the competition, including 43 Finals at Wembley and Cardiff.
With staggered ties and convenient replays I was able to see five matches in this season’s preliminary round. The results were: Wembley 1-1 North Greenford United, Barkingside 1-2 Ipswich Wanderers, Tower Hamlets 1-5 Cockfosters (replay), North Greenford United 5-1 Wembley (replay) and Croydon 2-1 Tunbridge Wells (replay).
Wembley, who almost play in the shadow of the Stadium arch, have only reached the first round proper on one occasion, losing 3-0 at Enfield back in 1980. Wembley’s Wembley dreams are already over for this season. The Lions did well to hold a team a level higher to a draw on Saturday but were well beaten in Tuesday’s replay.
On Sunday I was at Cricklefield Stadium, the ground Barkingside share with Ilford, for a 1pm kick-off. The ‘Groundhopper’ directly in front of me in the stand had just driven back from a match in Inverness. ‘Side were 2-0 down at the break, threw everything at Wanderers in the second half but only pulled one back.
The journey back from Seven Kings to Lancaster Gate, via Liverpool Street, was unusual. I was wondering why the tube was so crowded until I remembered the Notting Hill Carnival was on. With everyone wedged in it was physically impossible to get off at Lancaster Gate (my stop) or Queensway (the next stop, going west). At Notting Hill Gate I was swept along towards the Carnival, unable to turn round. It was hours before I got home.
Monday afternoon’s replay featured Tower Hamlets from the Essex Senior League and Cockfosters from the Spartans South Midlands League.
I travelled to east London, not convinced the match would take place after watching Sutton Common Rovers play Guildford City on 3G in heavy rain in the morning. But the pitch at Mile End Stadium was fine.
David Barber took in some FA Cup action at Mile End Stadium
Hamlets conceded after about a minute and were 2-1 down at the end of a fairly even first half. But it all went badly wrong for the home side after that. They let in three more goals, had two sent off and there were arguments between their players as they crashed out of the Cup.
My fifth preliminary round match was on Wednesday night at Croydon Sports Arena, where I first saw Croydon Amateurs in action against Kingsbury Town in a Spartan League fixture more than 50 years ago and where I competed in the Croydon Schools Athletics Championships, coming second in the triple jump.
Croydon are bottom of the Southern Counties East League with no points but played impressively to edge the Wells 2-1 in Wednesday’s replay. It was raining hard at the finish, so I took the nearby tram to East Croydon rather than walk to Norwood Junction for the 21.53, which I would probably have missed anyway.
In the first round qualifying on 12 September I’m at Sutton Coldfield Town v Oadby Town.
Twitter: @thebarberfan
